Sydney FC playing mind games: Gombau

Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau has accused his Sydney FC counterpart Graham Arnold of playing mind games ahead of their season-shaping A-League clash on Saturday night.

Gombau dismissed Arnold's critique of Adelaide's style as irrelevant.

The Sky Blues coach says to dub Adelaide's game plan as Barcelona-style based on possession and short passes is a ruse, noting their preference for long balls and overt aggression.

"It doesn't matter. In the end, what is important is we know what we are doing," Gombau, who was Barcelona's youth coach from 2003-2009, told reporters on Friday.

"We are not Barcelona, it is true. We come from Barcelona and we pick the things we think are useful for us but we create our style thinking of the players we have.

"It (Arnold's comments) is something that I don't want to lose any moment (thinking about) because we have the style that we have, and we are happy and the players are happy."

Asked if Arnold was playing mind games ahead of the fixture at Sydney's Allianz Stadium, Gombau replied: "Yes.

"He is playing his game. I don't speak about the other teams because I respect a lot and for me it's important to speak about us."

The fifth-placed Reds are one point behind third-placed Sydney but will be without three key players on Saturday night.

Playmaker Marcelo Carrusca will miss the next three games with a thigh strain, defender Tarek Elrich is suspended and forward Pablo Sanchez is sidelined after having a cortisone injection in his lower back.

But defender Nigel Boogard has been cleared of concussion and will play, despite being stretchered from the field in last week's win against Newcastle Jets.